Excavator and conveyer.



J. M. LEE.

ELEVATOR AND CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1913.

1,083,897. Patented Jan.6,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH EO.,WASHINGTDN, D. c.

J. M. LEE.

ELEVATOR AND GONVBYER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.3,1913.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. M. LEE.

ELEVATOR AND GONVEYER APPLICATION EILED MAR. a, 1913.

1,083,897. vPatented Jan.6,1914.

a SHEETS-SHBET a. 6'5

:oLuMmA PLANOGRAPH co. WASHINGTON. n. c,

JAMES MILTON LEE, on EL PASO, TEXAS.

nxoAvA'roR Ann convnYnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

Application filed March 3, 1913. Serial No. 751,894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JAMES MILTON LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavators and Conveyers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to excavating and conveying machinery, and has for its purpose to provide a machine of that character which will operate to continuously excavate the ground at different elevations, as in ditching or cutting away embankments; and wherein the excavated earth is removed by the *conveyer apparatus progressively with the excavating operation.

The invention has for its further purpose to construct an excavator capable of working in positions which have heretofore been considered inaccessible, and which will perform a greater amount of work in a given period than is obtainable with any of the present used excavating machinery.

The invention further contemplates a construction of apparatus which will be ineX pensive to produce; one which is simple in design and manner of operation; and one wherein the control and manipulation thereofniay be performed by unskilled labor.

WVith these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and i articularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views:Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the machine complete; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, with parts in elevation, of the earth worker; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View, partly in elevation, of the earth worker; and Fig. 6 is a detail top plan view of the clutch mechanism for controlling the conveyor hoisting means.

Referring to the construction in detail, the machine consists of a suitable vehicle, on the platform, or body, 1 of which is mounted a motor 2 for driving a gearing arrangement, described hereinafter, which operates the earth worker, or digger, 3, conveyor apparatus 4, and conveyer hoisting means 5. The earth Worker 3 is suitably journaled within a frame comprising swinging arms 6 mounted on suitable supports 7 on the platform 1. The conveyer apparatus 4 is pivotally supported at 8 011 flanges 9 carried by the arms 6; and said conveyor apparatus is slidably connected with the rigid frame constructed of arms 10 through the medium of pins 11 mounted on the conveyer apparatus casing, and working within arcuate guideways 12 formed by flanges 13 (see Fig. 2) on the inner sides of the arms 10. The motor 2 is connected to drive a shaft 14; having a pair of fly-wheels 15, and two pinions 16 keyed thereon. The pinions 16 are designed to drive a pair of pinions 17 on a shaft 18 through the medium of respectively large and small pinions 19 and 20 011 the countershaft 21. A pair of sprockets 22- are mounted on the shaft 18, and are connected by chains 23 to drive the pinions 2% of the vehicle axle 25 for propeling the ve hicle, as will be understood. The pinions 22 are coupled to rotate with the shaft 18 through the medium of a pair of double clutches 26, splined on the shaft 18; one member of each of which being adapted to engage with its complementary clutch element 27 connected with the pinion 22. The means for moving the double clutches 26 (see Fig. 3) consists of a pair of bifurcated arms 28 slidably mounted on a bar 29 from the vehicle frame, and which are connected by a pair of links 30 and 31 with an operating lever 32, which is fulcrumed on a shaft The shaft 18 is provided with a second pair of loosely mounted pinions 8% having each a clutch element adapted to be engaged by the double clutch elements 26, by which engagement said pinions 34: will rotate the shaft 18, as will be obvious. A pair of sprocket chains 36 transmit power from the shaft 18 to a cmmtershaft 37, through the medium of pinions 38 fixed on said shaft. The shaft 37 is adapted to transmit power to the earth worker, or digger, 8, to which end said shaft 37 carries pinions 39 that drive a pair of chains 5L0 which ride on sprockets 11 carried by said earth worker 3.

The conveyor which cotiperates with the earth worker, or digger, and which conveyer sprockets 42 and drive a pair of sprockets Q1 connected with the lower shaft of the endless conveyer.

The earth worker 3 is adapted for opera tion in and between those positions indicated in Fig. 1, and in either of which positions the conveyer apparatus is adapted to cooperate to the end of carrying off the earth removed. The conweyer casing is connected with the swinging arm on which the earth worker is journaled, and it moves with said frame, as heretofore stated. The means for elevating the supporting frame of the digger 3 consists of a pair of cables 45 that are roved over a pair of grooved pulleys 46, mounted on the rigid frame 10, and said cables are connected to the free ends of the arms 6 of said swinging frame, and are adapted to be wound on the pair of drums 47 mounted on the shaft 48. The shaft 48 is provided with an idler gear 49 that meshes with a pinion 50, which pinion is in turn continuously driven, when the motor is in operation, by a pinion 51 keyed on the shaft 18. The pinion 49 is connected to be driven by the shaft 48 through the medium of a clutch device, shown in detail in Fig. 6. Said clutch device comprises a pair of clutch elements 52 splined on the shaft 48, adapted to engage with complementary clutch elements 53 secured to the pinion 49. When said clutch elements are thus connected, the shaft 48 is driven in a clockwise direction, or counter to the direction of rotation of the shaft 18; thus winding the cables 45 in the direction of the arrow (see Fig. 1') for e evating the supporting frame of the earth worker, and consequently lifting the casing of the conveyer. The clutch members 52 are actuated by a pair of bifurcated arms 54 having link connections 55 with an operating lever 56, that is fulcrumed at 57 on the frame 10. To lower the earth worker from that position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1, it is necessary only that the clutch device shown in Fig. 6 be thrown out of engagement when said earth worker, together with the conveyer apparatus, will of themselves move downwardly. In this connection the elevating mechanism may be provided with a suitable brake for holding the earth worker and conveyer apparatus in any desired position.

In operation the earth worker rotates in that direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, and the conveyer in the direction indicated by the arrows in the same view. In this relation the earth which is thrown by the digger is caught by the receptacles, or buckets, of the conveyer and carried to the point of discharge 58, from where it may be removed by any suitable means.

The earth worker per 86 comprises (see Figs. 4 and 5) a pair of disk members, or side plates, 59 to which are secured the easings 60, on which are mounted the sprockets 41 and 42. The side plates 59, together with the sprocket casings 60, are journaled on the shaft axle 61 that is secured to the swinging frame arms 6 in any suitable manner. A plurality of radially disposed blades 62 are secured between and to the disks, or plates, 59 and have their cutting edges 63 projecting an appreciable distance beyond the pe ripheries of said side plates 59. The blades 62 are adapted to cut into the earth, as will be understood, and the earth thus cut is embedded, or packed, between said blades. The means for removing the earth thus cut consists of a plurality of ejectors comprising each an arcuate plate 64 disposed transversely of the side plates 59 and adapted to work with a substantially close fit between each pair of blades 62. Said ejectors are each mounted on a pair of rods 65 that work within a pair of rings 66 arranged concentrically with the axle 61, and which are secured to the side plates 59 through the medium of suitable brackets 67. The ejectors are adapted to be moved to their outermost positions for throwing out the out earth which is contained between each pair of blades for throwing same into the buckets of the conveyer. To this end, the rods 65, on which the ejectors are mounted, are caused to be moved to their outermost positions through the medium of a pair "of eccentrics, or cams, 68 that are rigidly secured to the axle 61 through the medium of set screws 69. Said rods are provided each with an antifriction roller 70 that rides on said eccentric. Each plate 64 is provided with a retraction spring 71 mounted on the rod 65 and having its respective ends secured to said plate and the ring 66 in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangement of parts. without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claim.

I claim In an excavator, the combination of a supporting structure; a frame swingingly mounted on said structure; a rotatable earth worker journaled on said swinging frame; a motor mounted on the supporting struc ture; means for operating the earth worker from said motor; a frame rigidly mounted on the supporting structure; a vertically disposed and endless conveyer apparatus having pivotal connection with the swinging frame and slidable connection with the rigid frame, driving connection between said earth Worker and the conveyer; a hoisting In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa- (illlim C iournaled on said suportilllg structure ture, in presence of two Witnesses.

anc a apted to be driven T0111 tie motor; a

pulley journaled on said rigid frame; a JAMES MILTON hoisting cable secured to said swinging Witnesses:

frame, passing over said pulley, and Wound F. E. HUNTER,

on said drum; substantially as described. R. B. REDIc.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. G. 

